Tanaka 3351 from Baileys

[dirt_19]

Well little update finally got around to trying to fire the little guy up . Pretty much I had the same first start experience as "computer user" shared on post # 67 . Had to put some fuel in the cylinder to get it to prime . Power was a lot lower than I expected. Chain brake would drag a bit if you nudge it . Only real difference was mine died like it ran out of fuel with ruffly half a tank left . After topping off the tanks I couldn't get it restarted . I could get it to run for a few seconds by putting a little fuel in the cylinder but as near as I could tell it wasn't pulling fuel from the tank . Gonna let it sit for a few days and give it another go . One thing that popped in my mind was since this is a older model and been sitting in a warehouse for some time maybe the pump and flaps / valves in the Carb are stiff from age . I don't know I'm definitely no expert on these thing .

 

[7sleeper]

Hey cory,

First it would be wise to adjust the carb correctly. After that the problems with running correctly should be solved.

Further powerwise you should run about a dozen refills through it before your final verdict on power is out. Of course a correctly sharpend chain would be of benefit. But then again it is only a 32cc saw with 1.6hp so I would feel fine with using it on wood in the 5 - max. 10 inch range.

7

 

[dirt_19]

Guess I made that a little to short and forgot some details . After the initial start I let it warm up a bit with no problems and started to tune the idle . It was pretty close out of the box . Idle was a bit high and it was a bit lean . I had cut 5 pallets in half with good results so I started cutting up some 4-6 inch limbs . Made a few cuts and adjusted the high a few more times as I was cutting . It was four stroking when I would lift about half way through the limb so I was happy with the tune . Several cuts later I went to start on a limb might of made it a inch in and it died with a bog like the fuel got turned off. I realize it should pick up some power as the rings wear in . I have also had the thought the brake maybe dragging more than I think or more often than I think . Really I'm not comparing it to any high power saw , only other saw I own at this point is my craftsman / poulan 42cc . Which I have assumed is under 2 hp since Poulan doesn't list spec's .

 

[jughead500]

Mine done the same.Ran great for 1/2 tank.went to restart and pulled til i turned blue in the face.Pulled a few times about 1/2 choke and she fired right up.May pull it out today and see if it fires.it is a Possibility it could be the diaphragms are a little bit stiff.Most of the time I run into that just leave it setting for a while and the gas will sometimes correct the problem.Done it a few times on old Mccullochs and sometimes I get lucky without having to rebuild the carbs.

 

[Vibes]

Well this is very disappointing to hear. I wasn't planning on" rebuilding" or is it building a carb on a brand new saw. Wonder if Baileys would at least supply the carb kit as part of the warraunty? Could be a good test to see how Tanaka stands behind claims.

 

[jughead500]

Might not hurt to try.
But at the price they were selling them at the warranty was the least thing on my mind.

 

[nnero]

Mine does need some fine tuning but after the first start, I have never had issues like above. Maybe being in storage has caused issues? Who knows. The price has made these little issues worth it for me. But that only goes so far... Keep us updated.

 

[dirt_19]

Well I fooled with it last night for 10-15 minutes when I got home I realized something when I checked the fuel level . The fuel tank is not vented I think that may have contributed to the half tank stall . My theory is if the diagram was marginally pulling fuel the vaccum in the tank building could have stalled fuel delivery but I'm not sure why It didn't seem to prime after I pulled the cap and refueled after it stalled . But it did try to run last nigh 4 pulls on full choke with no pop and 2 pulls on half choke and it ran for a few seconds but after that Nothing couldn't get anything I was a little tired and frustrated so I just set it down with out any investigation , maybe tomorrow .

I ordered a carb kit just in case as I was already ordering one for another saw I just had gave to me and $7.00 bucks isn't gonna bug me in the long run .

Just in case some one is curious Mine has a WT-527 Carb

The way I'm looking at it right now I picked the saw up for $139 shipped ( I had a coupon from bailey's to use on my first purchase ) and the other saws I was looking at were in the $200 dollar range and had a bit more weight and a bit less power . So as long as my total investment ends up being less than $200 I'm gonna be happy .

Heck my Craftsman / Poulan I got on sale for $139.00 ran horrible So I didn't really run it till I got on here and found out about the Blue butt connector make shift tool to adjust the carb on it till I got the correct driver / screwdrive from Hong Kong ( costing me $9.00 by the way ).

Plus as much researching and screwdriver poking as I have done so far I'm probably gonna know this saw inside and out .

Oh yah to those that own this saw take the front cover / Carb cover off and seal it ( I think I'm gonna Use a bit of RTV ) filter was clean but there was dust and a few small wood chips in the carb compartment when I opened mine .

 

[Vibes]

Well I finally got my new Tanaka from Baileys. I was actually in my driveway unloading yesterdays wood hall when the PS man stopped. My first impression was how lite the package was. The saw looks good overall and it went together easily. The clutch cover is the whole side of the saw and hinging it in the rear over the muffler was sort of different, and I was affraid of snapping it over the tab that holds the cover on the rear. The saw came with a 14 inch bar which I think is excessive for a 32cc saw and when I checked the manual, it said the saw should've been equipped with a 12inch bar. It came with the safety chain with the large bumper links. I put on a 10inch Hobby Champ bar that I bought years ago, with a loop of 30 LP Woodsmans Pro chain. I can see some of the other posters complaints about how small this saw is. Small caps, and a tiny choke pull. This saw isn't for the ham handed for sure.

I took it out for a test run today between rain showers today. The saw did take a few extra pulls for the initial pop, but I got it running in 8 pulls. I let the saw warm up and it cracked to life. I see why its not California compliant. This saw is pleasantly loud, and doesn't sound at all like my muffled 2238 Jonsered. The idle was real high and it needed turned down right out of the box. The saw went WOT effortlessly without any hesitation at all.

I started out with a standing 10 inch dead ash tree. The saw struggled on the initial wedge cut, but reved nicely through the back cut. I don't think this is the saws strong point but this as the only wood I had to cut. I bucked up the rest of the tree without any complaints and it went through the hard ash as I would expect a 1.6 HP saw to cut. The saw really was nimble for the limbing part of the job, and I was real impressed with its light weight. I did hit the kill switch by accident once and the first thing I thought was the stalling problems others have reported. No problem though, it was running in one pull. I have other saws with that same problem but I will blame the operator for that.

When the tree was bucked and limbed I wanted to finish the gas in the tank so I went into my woods and thinned some multifloral rose. The one handed operation of this saw was perfect for that job. I finished out the gas and put the saw away for the day. My only complaint would be the size of the fuel tank which to me would be a negative for a professional. I don't have much experience with really small saws but my first impression of this saw is good. This seems like it would be a great homeowner saw or a good saw for a women because it is so easy to pull start. I will update after a few tanks are under this saws belt.

 

[CTYank]

Got my 3351 back in mid-Dec., and now have ~6 tankfuls through it. It's still very slowly loosening up, which bodes well to me. The engine seems capable of lots of work. We'll see about the plastic bits.

Sure would be nice if it had an optional purge pump. It doesn't so you gotta listen carefully for a POP. And eat your Wheaties for cranking.

I've used it for bucking some hickory blowdown of ~10" diam. Handled it just fine, spitting nice chip-stream.

Main use for this saw so far is cutting up tops of blowdowns. The light weight is a big plus when wading through piles of brush cutting it to size for cleanup crews to haul away. Fueled and ready, the Tanaka weighs about half as much as the Dolly 6100 I use for bucking the stems to moveable size.

33 cc limbing, 61 cc bucking, and 25 cc polesaw make a great toolkit. Getting the two Tanakas at half price = priceless.

 

[dirt_19]

Mine started yesterday on 2 pulls chock and 3 pulls at about half warmed up fine cut a few pallets up then it did its little bog and died again . Attempted a restart after checking for spark the arcs looked pretty decent most of them were blue "I blame the orange ones on a few awkward pulls " . After it cooled I pulled the plug after 4-5 full choke pulls and it was dry gave it a bit of fuel in the cylinder again and it ran for a few seconds. Pretty much I have convinced my self either something is blocking fuel flow or the needle is sticking for some reason . Currently waiting on a a carb kit still . I really have to give walbro big thumbs up on all the pdf files they have on there sight .

 

[7sleeper]

Mine started yesterday on 2 pulls chock and 3 pulls at about half warmed up fine cut a few pallets up then it did its little bog and died again . Attempted a restart after checking for spark the arcs looked pretty decent most of them were blue "I blame the orange ones on a few awkward pulls " . After it cooled I pulled the plug after 4-5 full choke pulls and it was dry gave it a bit of fuel in the cylinder again and it ran for a few seconds. Pretty much I have convinced my self either something is blocking fuel flow or the needle is sticking for some reason . Currently waiting on a a carb kit still . I really have to give walbro big thumbs up on all the pdf files they have on there sight .

Why not just dismantle your carb and put it into the ultrasound cleaner and see how it goes after that. I only have one of those el cheapo jewelery ultrasound cleaners. But I do 3 passes(US cleaner is limited to 8min max.) with hot faucet water and simple green (I exchange the water after every run) and one pass with only hot water to get out the soap residue, a light blow down with the compressor and a flush out with WD40. Finished.

7

 

[Vibes]

We'll see about the plastic bits.

Yea I'm going to order an extra choke plunger/ switch. I could see that piece getting tangled up in a hole in my glove and getting snapped off. That will give me a reason to visit this new shop near me that I see has a Tanaka sign in the window.

 

[CTYank]

One little thing to warn other little Tanaka users about: the ignition switch.

Unlike many modern ign. switches, when you switch it off, it is off until you switch it on. When you consider that when the saw is held in a normal operating position, you cannot see whether the switch is on or off. See where this is leading? One day recently as a couple of us were heading towards some big red oak blowdowns, I set the choke & fast idle and cranked, and cranked, and cranked some more until I happened to turn the saw on the clutch side, and noticed the switch OFF.

Now when I switch it off, I immediately switch it back on, and still routinely check the switch after topping off the tanks. HTH.

I really love the momentary-contact-off switch function of Dolly 6100, and don't understand why Stihl orients their switch function upside-down. Yean, you really are well suited to push it up with your thumb to switch it off, like when some crap has happened. Right.

 

[Vibes]

Been there and done that with my Dolmar 7900. Only problem with that is the saw will flood if you pull and crank on it too many times with switch in the off position. That was the first mod I did to the little Tanaka was to write "ON" on the saw just above the switch. I bumped that switch mid cut and shut it off. That's the only problem I've had ith the Tanaka so far. Its just a very tiny saw.

 

[gaspipe]

I had mine about an hour before I modded the muffler. I couldn't help it. So far, it's a decent saw for $150 to the door.

 

[Vibes]

What ddi you do to the muffler?

 

[jughead500]

I bought a spare muffler off of ebay to experiment on might be a little to gain.as far as the sound they are a little too quiet.

 

[gaspipe]

I cut off the internal pipe that exits the muffler, and modified the diffuser thingy inside the muffler. It's a little louder and a bit snappier, but that might be the result of retuning the carb. I'm not done screwing with it yet.

I think the airbox could use help before I do any more exhaust butchering.

 

[dirt_19]

Well finally got around to messing with my tanaka 3351b . Pulled the carb after falling to get it start and keep running . Blew all the ports out checked the metering lever height and everything looked good and put back together . Did the same thing so I tore it back apart . Replaced the pump diaphragm with a new one from a kit . Fired right up on the second pull . After a good bit of cutting the tank went dry . Let it sit for a couple hours , topped off the fluids and it fired right up on the second pull . Here's hoping for its continued good health .